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Author Topic: 1up.com: Super Mario Land "Explosively Awful"  (Read 9118 times)

Super-Jesse

  • Unstoppable News Machine
« on: April 16, 2008, 09:09:09 PM »


If there ever was a "top" list I would disagree with whole-heartedly, it's this one. 1up.com has compiled a list of games that, in their mind, are the most awful launch titles of all time. Three Mario character titles make the list:  Donkey Kong Jr. Math, Super Mario Land, and Super Mario Advance. DK Jr. Math, okay, I could see that as being a bad idea for a launch title. Super Mario Advance I am on the fence about, considering it was a port. The game scored high amongst reviewers, and I personally had that game in my GBA for a long time.

However, I have to "explosively" disagree with Super Mario Land. Sure, it's no Super Mario Bros. 3, but it's definitely not a bad title at all. It was fun to play, challenging, and had a good soundtrack. I'd venture to say Luigi's Mansion is a better choice for this list than Super Mario Land.

Read on for 1up.com's attempt to legitimize their choices, and let me know what you think about them in the Fungi Forums.

Link: 1up.com
<Kojinka> When I saw this thread back on top, I was afraid this was gonna be another pointless bump by a new member, but when I saw Super-Jesse's username, my fears were laid to rest.

MEGAߥTE

  • In flames
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2008, 09:12:32 PM »
Quote from: 1up.com
But, aside from this brilliant pack-in, Nintendo did offer a meager selection of launch titles, the worst of these being Super Mario Land.
Uh, pretty sure Alleyway and the sports titles were easily worse than SML.

MaxVance

  • Vance Vance Revolution
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2008, 10:04:59 PM »
Funny, I never found SMA all that bad. I guess I was never annoyed too much by the voices.

Then again I never played the "original" SMB2 or the SMAS port of it.
Remember that your first Goomba boldly you walk? When Mario touched that mushroom being brought up more largely remember that you are surprised? Miscalculate your jump that pit remember that it falls?

ShadowBrain

  • Ridiculously relevant
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2008, 10:17:41 PM »
Luigi's Mansion is fine. As for Super Mario Land, yeah, it hasn't stood the test of time, but I don't see anything wrong with it as the first portable Mario game on the first Nintendo portable (heck, I didn't know it was a launch title until now!).

Super Mario Advance? Well, I never got that one, partially because I've never really been too fond of Super Mario Bros. 2 compared to the other Mario games (few have, as I understand it), partially because I think they went overboard on the new additions (i.e. bad sound bits--and what the eff is the point of that huge bouncy thing that appears when you step on that one platform at the beginning of the game?).
"Mario is your oyster." ~The Chef

BP

  • Beside Pacific
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2008, 10:37:36 PM »
Luigi's Mansion rocks hard.

Aside from the music, the same can't be said about Super Mario Land, if you ask me. I'm sure it wasn't the WORST launch title for the Game Boy, of course...

As for Super Mario Advance, it's one of those games I own where the time I've played it over the time I've owned it would make a tiny little fraction. Pretty sure I only got it to complete the Advance collection. Other games with tiny fractions like that would be the original Animal Crossing, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (with a zero) and Final Fantasy III DS. I don't like SMA too much simply because I, like ShadowBrain and others, am not a big fan of SMB2. It's a cool game, but it drives me crazy with its harshness. I did a 99 (999?)-life trick in world three or so and got a game over before the end.
All your dreeeeeeams begiiin to shatterrrrrr~
It's YOUR problem!

ShadowBrain

  • Ridiculously relevant
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2008, 10:42:48 PM »
Why do I feel like "explosively" is a bad way to describe the awfulness of a game? Hearing that word make me think of either firecrackers or diarrhea--two things inexcusably absent from all current Mario games, I might add.
"Mario is your oyster." ~The Chef

Suffix

  • Steamed
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2008, 10:49:11 PM »
Man, I loved Super Mario Land. It got me through all those boring Rotary meetings with my grandfather when I was very, very young. At the time, I thought it was clever and unique. I still think it was clever and unique. It didn't stray too far from the normal formula of Mario platformers, and I loved the vehicular levels.

They compare the series to "some surreal nightmare," and while Super Mario Land 2 may very well match that description, it was kind of a baton pass to the maniacal Wario, so that sort of made sense.

SolidShroom

  • Poop Man
« Reply #7 on: April 17, 2008, 05:26:11 AM »
This guy is pretty much a total idiot. Super Mario Land is handheld platforming genius. Also, regarding Super Mario Advance, how is a port of the best Super Mario Bros. game an awful game? His choices for other systems are somewhat decent, but Wave Race: Blue Storm is good too (although not better than the original).

Turtlekid1

  • Tortuga
« Reply #8 on: April 17, 2008, 10:29:36 AM »
While Super Mario Land definitely pushed my patience to its limits with some of the harder bits, I would never say it was explosively awful...
"It'll say life is sacred and so is death
but death is life and so we move on"

missingno

  • ▄█ 'M ▓▒
« Reply #9 on: April 17, 2008, 11:02:40 AM »
I still play Super Mario Land to this day. Sure, it doesn't at all hold a candle to console Mario titles, but for early handhelds, Super Mario Land is a great game. It's a game I will probably find myself playing through here and there for the rest of my life.
Ditto used Machop!

ShadowBrain

  • Ridiculously relevant
« Reply #10 on: April 17, 2008, 06:24:10 PM »
Why do all the 1UP articles look really cheap now? They used to be laid out really cool with all these sidebars and stuff...
"Mario is your oyster." ~The Chef

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